Meet Our Team: Paul Outterside

Paul Outterside has been one of the key members of our development team for the past ten years. He has worked on developing our mobile platforms, and is currently working on the new True Potential Investor proposition.

Paul explained to us his experience and expertise over the past decade, and gave his insight into what the future holds.

How did you get started in the industry?

I have always had a love for technology, so back when ‘the internet’ was something you had to use sparingly for fear of the huge telephone bill (and came with the added danger of someone else in the house picking the phone up and cutting you off) I started to teach myself all about web development and design.

In those days, there was no ‘drag and drop’ development tools, so everything ‘cutting edge’ had to be done using complex mathematics – foreshadowing at it’s best! Web development was a hobby for me (with the Dot-com Bubble bursting, a hobby was about the best most of us could manage by the end of the 90’s), but in 2004 I was lucky enough to get a job as Web Developer on a small development team operating out of some scattered offices in a building in Gosforth for a company called Positive Solutions – the largest IFA in the UK at the time.

During my time at PS, we built the ‘Intuitive’ and ‘Intuitive 2’ software platforms for advisers and did some truly innovative things to improve the client and adviser experience through technology. At the foundation of True Potential, I was given the opportunity to join the company and help build the technology offering – who wouldn’t leap at that opportunity? 11 years on I think our track record as a company, shows I made the right choice!

Tell us about your area of expertise?

Over the years my area of expertise has shifted many times to meet business requirements. Having built a significant portion of the early True Potential software offering, I knew an enormous amount about the mechanics of software provision in the UK Financial Services industry.

After Steve Jobs announced a device that would guarantee no teenager would ever again hold a conversation without simultaneously staring at a device in their hand (and having 6 other ‘virtual’ conversations at the same time), I spent a number of years as Head of Mobile Applications. During that time we produced the UK industry’s first mobile apps, tablet apps and even had an app available for the Apple Watch available on the day of the device’s launch.

In recent years I have been involved with HMTreasury’s Pension Dashboard project and am currently working to help improve client engagement and experience via the True Potential Investor service.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

As is probably clear by now, things are always changing for me. The role and knowledge I have today are different to a year ago…and the year before that…and the year before that!

I have no idea what I will need to learn (and become an expert in) next. I’m lucky enough to be trusted with a huge variety of tasks which has seen me doing anything and everything from producing software concepts to jumping on a train for a meeting in London…I’ve even been on stage in NYC representing True Potential in front of hundreds of industry figures!

What makes the company special?

What is truly special, is that my comments above are not exclusive to me – True Potential staff really do have the opportunity to expand their own knowledge and in turn positively impact the business. Over the years I have seen countless people come to work for True Potential in what I’m sure they thought was just a ‘basic role’, who have then developed and grown to positions of real significance and responsibility. That’s pretty special.

What are the most important things to consider for first time investors?

Not so much a consideration, but some reassurance – don’t be afraid! I think excessive fear of ‘what might happen’ is the biggest barrier to investing for the first time. A little apprehension is fine, so if you are unsure you could start off investing a smaller amount. Trying an online service like True Potential Investor which is simple to get started with can allow you to start investing from as little as £1.

What are you most excited about in regard to the future of the company?

I think True Potential are doing things right. Our ongoing effort to improve the end clients’ financial situation is absolutely the right thing to do – both morally and commercially. I’d absolutely love to see True Potential become a household name and the trusted choice for the UK client and I see no reason why that should not become a reality.